The latest Bigg Boss seasons are underway across India, and with some of the country's biggest stars returning as hosts, one question is attracting almost as much attention as the contestants: how much do the Bigg Boss hosts actually earn?
Salman Khan is back with Bigg Boss Hindi Season 20, Vijay Sethupathi is hosting Bigg Boss Tamil Season 10, Nagarjuna is back for Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10, Mohanlal continues with Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 8, and Kichcha Sudeep is hosting Bigg Boss Kannada Season 13.
Sourav Ganguly has also taken over as the host of Bigg Boss Bangla Season 3, which premiered on August 30, ahead of the other five editions that launched on September 6.
But there is an important caveat around the numbers. The fees discussed below come from media reports and have not been officially confirmed by the respective actors or the show's makers. Some reports also quote different amounts for the same host.
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How Much Is Salman Khan Reportedly Paid For Bigg Boss 20?
Salman Khan's remuneration is arguably the biggest talking point.
According to a report by ABP Marathi, Salman Khan is reportedly being paid around Rs. 120 crore for the entire Bigg Boss 20 season. The figure has subsequently been reported by outlets including The Economic Times and The Indian Express.
However, there is a significant discrepancy in the reports.
A separate Deccan Chronicle report has claimed that Salman is charging between Rs. 250 crore and Rs. 300 crore for the ongoing season. Neither figure has been officially confirmed by Salman Khan or the show's makers.
So, is Salman Khan's Bigg Boss 20 fee Rs. 120 crore or Rs. 250-300 crore?
The honest answer is that the public record does not establish one figure as definitive. The Rs. 120 crore number is attributed to an ABP Marathi report, while the higher figure comes from a separate media report.
Earlier reports had also claimed that Salman was paid around Rs. 2.5 crore per episode when he initially took over as host. His reported remuneration subsequently rose substantially, with media reports putting his Bigg Boss 17 and Bigg Boss 18 earnings at around Rs. 200 crore and Rs. 250 crore respectively. Those historical figures, too, were not officially confirmed.
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The Important Part About Salman Khan's Fee
It would be misleading to take the reported Rs. 120 crore season figure and divide it by the number of episodes to arrive at a current "per-episode salary".
The contract structure is not public. Bigg Boss has regular episodes, weekend episodes, launch episodes and special episodes, and there is no reliable public information establishing whether any additional appearances are paid separately.
Therefore, a season fee should remain a season fee.
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TL;DR: Bigg Boss Host Fees At A Glance
Salman Khan: Around Rs. 120 crore reportedly for Bigg Boss 20, although another report claims Rs. 250-300 crore.
Vijay Sethupathi: Around Rs. 3-4 crore reportedly per weekend, with total season remuneration estimated at Rs. 75-80 crore.
Nagarjuna: Around Rs. 40 crore reportedly for Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10.
Mohanlal: Around Rs. 30 crore reportedly for Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 8.
Kichcha Sudeep: Reports put his Season 13 fee at Rs. 15 crore to Rs. 20 crore, depending on the source.
Sourav Ganguly: Reportedly signed a Rs. 125 crore four-year Star Jalsha deal, but this covers Bigg Boss Bangla and another programme, so it cannot be treated as his Bigg Boss fee alone.
What Is Vijay Sethupathi's Bigg Boss Tamil Fee?
Vijay Sethupathi took over as the host of Bigg Boss Tamil from Kamal Haasan in Season 8 and is now hosting the franchise for the third consecutive season with Season 10.
According to reports cited by The Indian Express, Vijay Sethupathi reportedly charges around Rs. 3 crore to Rs. 4 crore per weekend. His total remuneration for an entire season has been estimated at around Rs. 75 crore to Rs. 80 crore.
The two figures should not be confused.
Rs. 3-4 crore is the reported weekend fee, while Rs. 75-80 crore is the reported overall season remuneration.
It would not be accurate to simply multiply the weekend figure by the number of weeks and present the result as his actual contract value. The exact contractual structure has not been made public.
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How Much Does Nagarjuna Reportedly Charge For Bigg Boss Telugu 10?
Nagarjuna has been one of the most recognisable faces of Bigg Boss Telugu since taking over as host.
Reports have put his remuneration at around Rs. 35 crore for a season in 2025. For the ongoing Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10, newer Telugu media reports have put his fee at around Rs. 40 crore.
The safest way to report the current figure is therefore:
Nagarjuna is reportedly earning around Rs. 40 crore for Bigg Boss Telugu Season 10, according to recent media reports.
The amount has not been officially confirmed by Nagarjuna or the makers.
The reported increase also explains why older articles may still quote Rs. 35 crore. That figure relates to earlier reporting and should not automatically be presented as his current Season 10 remuneration.
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How Much Does Mohanlal Earn For Bigg Boss Malayalam?
Mohanlal has been the face of Bigg Boss Malayalam since its launch and has returned for Season 8.
Media reports have put his remuneration at around Rs. 30 crore for an entire season. Some reports have also noted that he reportedly shoots for the show for a relatively limited number of days.
However, the reported Rs. 30 crore figure is a season-level estimate.
There is no reliable public basis for converting it into a daily or per-episode fee. Doing so would assume details of his contract that have not been disclosed.
What Is Sudeep's Bigg Boss Kannada Season 13 Fee?
Kichcha Sudeep is back as the host of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 13, marking his 13th consecutive year with the franchise.
Here too, the reports do not completely agree.
A recent Indian Express report says that Sudeep has reportedly charged Rs. 15 crore to host the new season.
Other media reports, including a pay chart cited by NDTV Profit and other outlets, have put his remuneration at around Rs. 20 crore for the season.
Therefore, the editorially safe position is that reports currently put Sudeep's Bigg Boss Kannada Season 13 remuneration somewhere between Rs. 15 crore and Rs. 20 crore.
Neither amount has been officially confirmed.
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Is Sourav Ganguly's Rs. 125 Crore Deal Only For Bigg Boss Bangla?
This is where the numbers need particularly careful handling.
Sourav Ganguly is hosting Bigg Boss Bangla Season 3, which premiered on 30 August 2026.
Reports in 2025 said Ganguly had signed a four-year deal with Star Jalsha worth Rs. 125 crore. Importantly, the reported agreement was not solely for Bigg Boss Bangla. The Indian Express reported that the deal also covered another quiz show.
That means it would be incorrect to write:
"Sourav Ganguly earns Rs. 125 crore for Bigg Boss Bangla."
The more accurate version is:
Sourav Ganguly reportedly signed a four-year Rs. 125 crore Star Jalsha deal covering Bigg Boss Bangla and another programme. The public reports do not provide a separate figure for his Bigg Boss Bangla fee.
This also means Ganguly should not be directly ranked against hosts whose reported figures represent a single season.
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What About Kamal Haasan's Bigg Boss Fee?
Kamal Haasan is another useful historical comparison.
Before Vijay Sethupathi took over the Tamil edition, Kamal Haasan hosted Bigg Boss Tamil. Reports around Season 7 claimed that he had quoted or was seeking around Rs. 130 crore for the season.
Because this was a reported demand or quoted remuneration rather than an officially disclosed payment, it should not be presented as a confirmed Rs. 130 crore salary.
For the current 2026 comparison, Vijay Sethupathi's reported fee is more relevant because he is the present host of Bigg Boss Tamil.
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Does The Bigg Boss Host Fee Include Extra Episodes?
This is one area where headlines can become misleading.
A reported season fee does not automatically mean that the host is paid a fixed amount for every episode.
Bigg Boss seasons can include:
Grand launch episodes
Regular weekday episodes
Weekend episodes
Special episodes
Promotional appearances
Finale-related appearances
For hosts whose reports specifically mention a per-weekend fee, such as Vijay Sethupathi, that figure should be described as a weekend fee.
For hosts whose remuneration is reported as a season amount, such as Salman Khan, Nagarjuna or Mohanlal, it should remain a season amount.
There is no sufficiently reliable public information establishing whether additional or special Bigg Boss episodes are paid separately under these contracts.
So, calculating a per-episode figure from a season fee would create a number that has not actually been reported.
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Who Is The Highest-Paid Bigg Boss Host In 2026?
There is no completely reliable answer because the reported figures are not directly comparable.
Salman Khan's Bigg Boss 20 remuneration has been reported at Rs. 120 crore by one source and Rs. 250-300 crore by another.
Sourav Ganguly's reported Rs. 125 crore figure relates to a four-year, multi-programme deal, rather than one Bigg Boss season.
Vijay Sethupathi's reported Rs. 75-80 crore is a season estimate, while Nagarjuna's current reported figure is around Rs. 40 crore and Mohanlal's around Rs. 30 crore.
So rather than declaring one celebrity the definitive "highest-paid Bigg Boss host", the figures are best understood as media-reported remuneration estimates based on different types of deals.
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The Bottom Line
The latest Bigg Boss seasons have brought some of Indian television's biggest names back to the small screen, and the reported fees reflect the scale of the franchise.
But the headline numbers need context.
Salman Khan's reported Bigg Boss 20 fee ranges from Rs. 120 crore in one widely cited report to Rs. 250-300 crore in another. Vijay Sethupathi is reportedly paid Rs. 3-4 crore per weekend, with his season remuneration estimated at Rs. 75-80 crore. Nagarjuna's Season 10 fee is being reported at around Rs. 40 crore, while Mohanlal's is around Rs. 30 crore. Sudeep's current reports range from Rs. 15 crore to Rs. 20 crore.
And in Sourav Ganguly's case, the reported Rs. 125 crore is for a broader four-year Star Jalsha agreement, not a publicly disclosed Bigg Boss-only fee.
In short, these are reported figures, not officially confirmed salaries, and the differences between season fees, weekend fees and multi-show contracts matter just as much as the headline numbers.
